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"If I Fell" is a song by The Beatles which first appeared on the 1964 UK album A Hard Day's Night and the US album Something New. It was also the B-side of the US single And I Love Her. Written primarily by John Lennon with help from Paul McCartney, the song is notable for its unusual structure, which includes an unrepeated introductory section (introduced as an afterthought as of take 11) followed by sequential verse sections, each having a slightly expanded form, but with no obvious chorus or bridge section. The song also features a two-part harmony, sung by Lennon and McCartney together into a single microphone at their suggestion, and intricate chord changes.
Lennon played acoustic guitar and sang, McCartney played bass and sang, George Harrison plucked out single notes on electric guitar, and Ringo Starr played drums.
There is an alternate take of the song in which McCartney's voice strains and cracks at the end of a line, which first appeared on the Love Songs compilation double-LP, by an archivist's error when returning to the master tapes in Capitol's vault. Since then, this version has appeared in many places and is often heard on oldies stations in some markets. This version is the stereo version now found in The Capitol Albums box set. In the mono version, Paul's voice strains, but does not crack.
"If I Fell" was included as part of The Beatles repertoire during their American tour 1964. For one performance, after McCartney introduced the song, Lennon appended the word "Over", which led to a rendition in which he and McCartney could barely contain their giggles.[citation needed]
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v • d • e The Beatles |
Singles (UK - Parlophone, Apple Records) |
1962: Love Me Do • 1963: Please Please Me, From Me to You, She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand • 1964: Can't Buy Me Love, A Hard Day's Night, I Feel Fine • 1965: Ticket to Ride, Help!, Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out • 1966: Paperback Writer, Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine • 1967: Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane, All You Need Is Love, Hello, Goodbye • 1968: Lady Madonna, Hey Jude • 1969: Get Back / Don't Let Me Down, Ballad of John and Yoko, Something / Come Together • 1970: Let It Be
1976: Yesterday, Back in the U.S.S.R. • 1978: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / A Day in the Life • 1982: The Beatles Movie Medley, Love Me Do (reissue) • 1995: Baby It's You, Free as a Bird • 1996: Real Love
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B-sides |
1962: P.S. I Love You • 1963: Ask Me Why, Thank You Girl, I'll Get You, This Boy • 1964: You Can't Do That, Things We Said Today, She's a Woman • 1965: Yes It Is, I'm Down • 1966: Rain • 1967: Baby You're a Rich Man, I Am the Walrus • 1968: The Inner Light, Revolution • 1969: Old Brown Shoe • 1970: You Know My Name (Look up the Number)
1976: I Should Have Known Better, Twist and Shout • 1982: I'm Happy Just to Dance with You, P.S. I Love You (reissue) • 1995: I'll Follow the Sun / Devil in Her Heart / Boys, Christmas Time (Is Here Again) • 1996: Baby's in Black
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Singles (U.S. - Capitol Records, Apple Records) |
1963: I Want to Hold Your Hand • 1964: Can't Buy Me Love, A Hard Day's Night, I'll Cry Instead, And I Love Her, Matchbox, I Feel Fine • 1965: Eight Days a Week, Ticket to Ride, Help!, Yesterday, We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper • 1966: Nowhere Man, Paperback Writer, Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine • 1967: Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever, All You Need Is Love, Hello, Goodbye • 1968: Lady Madonna, Hey Jude • 1969: Get Back / Don't Let Me Down, Ballad of John and Yoko, Something / Come Together • 1970: Let It Be, The Long and Winding Road
1976: Got to Get You into My Life • 1978: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / A Day in the Life • 1982: The Beatles Movie Medley • 1986: Twist and Shout • 1995: Baby It's You, Free as a Bird• 1996: Real Love
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B-sides |
1963: I Saw Her Standing There • 1964: You Can't Do That, I Should Have Known Better, I'm Happy Just to Dance with You, If I Fell, Slow Down, She's a Woman • 1965: I Don't Want to Spoil the Party, Yes It Is, I'm Down, Act Naturally • 1966: What Goes On, Rain • 1967: Baby You're a Rich Man, I Am the Walrus • 1968: The Inner Light, Revolution • 1969: Old Brown Shoe • 1970: You Know My Name (Look up the Number), For You Blue
1976: Helter Skelter • 1982: I'm Happy Just to Dance with You • 1986: There's a Place • 1995: I'll Follow the Sun / Devil in Her Heart / Boys, I Saw Her Standing There / This Boy / Christmas Time (Is Here Again) • 1996: Baby's in Black / Yellow Submarine / Here, There and Everywhere
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